Ridgeline Wrap Cardigan

Our Ridgeline Wrap Cardigan taps into the drama of nature itself: the ebbs and flows, the bends and curves, the skyline of the Alps, the peak of Mount Fuji, the ups and downs of the Rocky Mountains.

Great for beginners on a quest for their first dramatic achievement and also for more experienced knitters who are always up for beauty, this pattern is perfectly straightforward. Its body is knit bottom up in 2×2 rib, and the set-in sleeves are picked up and knit in the round with short-row shoulder shaping. The sweeping shawl collar grows right out of the body, and stockinette sleeves envelop the wearer’s arms without constricting them.

The perfect layering piece, wear your Ridgeline Wrap Cardigan under coats or on top of finer knits as a generous overcoat. Wear the waterfall front open to swish and sway in an early-fall breeze or belted and buckled to add structure to your look.

And what better yarn to create such a natural beauty than our Flax Down? A combination of baby alpaca, extra fine merino, and linen, our Flax Down collection just welcomed nine beautiful new colors, including the Dark Iris color we used here. Full of life and richness, it still reads as an everyday neutral that somehow goes with most everything!

Even if your next mountain adventure isn’t on the horizon, wearing your own hand-knit Ridgeline Wrap Cardigan will transport you there, like you’re on top of the world!

Designed for Purl Soho by Adam Aronowitz.

MATERIALS

10 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) skeins of Purl Soho’s Flax Down, 43% baby alpaca, 42% extra fine merino, and 15% linen. We used the color Dark Iris (and also Fresh Nutmeg, shown in the banner photos at the top of this page).

Thanks for writing in and for the kind words! The cardigan would be super easy to modify into a vest, because the entire body is knitted first and the sleeves are picked up from the armhole openings and knitted last. All you would have to do is skip the sleeves!

Best of luck, and please let us know how your Ridgeline Wrap Vest turns out!
Julianna

Thanks for writing in! Pure cashmere has fantastic drape so I think it’s an awesome choice for this cardigan! Although you should always knit a gauge swatch, especially when substituting yarns, Zageo 6-Ply Cashmere should knit up at the same gauge as Flax Down. You will need 15 (15, 16, 18, 19, 20) skeins which is a quantity we do not usually keep in stock, so please feel free to give us a call at (800)587-PURL so we can place a special order for you!

Beautiful pattern & yarn…but way too expensive! I would need 14 skeins @ $22.50 per skein. The sweater would come out to $315.00 without purchasing the pattern or taxes & shipping. Keep up the good work; but please be realistic.

Thanks so much for the kind words! We hear you! We totally understand that sometimes our yarn suggestions are more of an inspiration than a reality for many people. We are always happy to recommend less expensive (but still beautiful!) alternatives. In this case, we suggest that you try Good Wool – you would only need 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 8) skeins, and at $9.80 per skein, it would make a more economical yet equally lovely cardigan.

Thank you so much for asking. We’re sure that lots of other readers will thank you, too!

Hello! I always love all of your patterns and information! I’ve only ever made blankets and scarves and just from teaching myself and using Youtube and books, but am loving this cardigan! How difficult would this be if I wanted to attempt to make it with my current skill level? Am really thinking about it but don’t want to spend the money if it’s going to end up being beyond my abilities. Thank so much for all of your wonderful designs and helpful posts!

Thanks so much for the kind words and for reaching out! I would rate this an advanced beginner to intermediate pattern – although the entire body of the sweater is very straightforward knitting and purling, the shoulders and sleeve caps are shaped with short rows, and you will have to pick up the stitches for the sleeves. However, we do have video tutorials for both of these techniques! You can review our short row tutorial here, and our picking up stitches tutorial here. I think this is an excellent project if you are looking to expand your skills, and we are always here to help if you run into any questions!

Thanks so much for the kind words! Maxima is a bit heavier weight than Flax Down – although I think you could achieve the correct gauge by adjusting your needle size, you may find that it makes a denser fabric with less drape than Flax Down. However, if you are looking for a cozy, somewhat structured sweater, it could work fantastically! I would definitely suggest knitting a gauge swatch to see if you are happy with the fabric.

Hi
Can this pattern be modified to have a more rolled look rather than the large draping
Even though beautiful it’s not quite the same as the project I want to make for my daughter and I can’t find a pattern
I’m also using a 10ply Aran cashmere merino blend
Could I adapt this pattern to suit style & wool
Thanks
Janis

Hello Janis,
Thank you for reaching out- your yarn sounds beautiful! I suspect that you could shorten the color and then pick up and knit around the border to create a rolled edge. Depending on how close your gauge is to our 23 stitches and 34 rows to 4 inches in stockinette stitch will determine how much altering you would have to take on. I would knit up a little gauge swatch with your yarn to see how far off you are and go from there!
I hope this gives you some guidance and let us know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla

Hello Suzanne,
Thank you for reaching out! Size 38.5″ takes approximately 2,243 yards so, though your yarn would work beautifully for this project, unfortunately you will not have enough for this size.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla

Hi! I have a question about blocking, when you block the sample of 2×2 ribbing do you stretch it out when you pin it to dry? Or do you simply pin it in the corners and leave it? I’m a little new to knitting swatches so I don’t want to do it wrong. Thanks so much!

Hello Charlotte,
Thank you for reaching out. This is a great question! You do not need to stretch it out, but simply pin each corner. Ribbing is always a little tricky to measure because of its stretch, but ultimately your goal is to get your swatch as close to how your sweater will knit up as possible.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla

Hello Revni,
Thank you for reaching out! This cardigan is designed to have and over sized look to it so if you are up for altering the pattern a bit I think you could make it work. You could decrease the number of stitches in the back to bring the arms closer together in the back and take away some stitches in the front color to balance everything out. In addition adjusting the length of the sweater should be pretty straightforward.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla

Thanks for reaching out! It is always a good idea to wash and block your swatch the same way you intend to wash and block your sweater, since you will be washing your sweater eventually and if your gauge changes after blocking, your entire sweater may not fit after blocking.

Hello Susan,
Thank you for reaching out! I would suggest trying out either our Cotton Pure or Habu’s Bamboo. Both of these yarns will knit up at a smaller gauge than what the pattern calls for so you could go down in needle size and knit one size larger. This is not an exact science so you would have to be ok with the size not coming out perfectly.

I have done several gauge swatches and keep coming up between using the recommended size 6 needles or sizing down to a 4. My swatches are coming out between. In general I am a loose knitter. Can you help me decide what size needle to use? I tried on the sweater this weekend in the store, and the small size was a good fit. Would I do better to end up a bit bigger or smaller?

Hello Wendy,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend using a size 5 needle in your case so that you can get as close to gauge as possible. When working on something this large that needs to fit your body it is always better to be as close to gauge as possible, as I’m sure you know. Generally I would say if you are choosing between your sweater coming out larger or smaller it is better to go larger especially with something that is designed to fit oversized. However it is important to remember that however much your gauge is off by per inch, your sweater will be off by that amount per inch.
I hope this makes sense and happy knitting!
-Marilla

Marilla: thank you so much for your prompt and helpful reply. I love Purl Soho! I took my gauge swatches into a local yarn shop that I love when we are in NJ, and contrary to what I told you, they agree that they are within a stitch of #4 needles, and as I am a loose knitter, we agreed that I should progress with the 4. I am eager to begin this beautiful project, and thank you again for your input. My daughter and I were in your shop this past weekend, and both bought this project. Can’t wait to begin!

I’m really excited for this pattern and it is the first sweater I’ve ever attempted! I was wondering if you could give some guidance about how to measure in order to determine the right size? I am relatively petite but have a large bust, and typically wear a small in an oversized sweater like this one. I’ve measured my chest circumference under my armpits (37 in) and also where my bra strap goes (33 in). I’m not sure if I should take the bust measurement into account, because I suspect that will make for a fit that is too large in the shoulders. I am leaning towards the 38 1/2 size but wanted to be sure before starting. Thank you!!

Great question! For a some people who have a larger discrepancy between the under bust, or bra band, measurement and full bust, using the full bust measurement to determine sweater sizing can lead to a sweater that is too big everywhere else. If you find that is the case, you can use a different measurement, called the high bust, to determine your size instead. To do so, wrap the measuring tape around your chest at the top of your armpits, and then take the measurement with your arms down – it sounds like this is where you measured and got 33 inches. Using that measurement, I would recommend knitting the 34 1/2 size. Fortunately, since this sweater is meant to be oversized and doesn’t close in the front, I think either size could work so you don’t have to worry about the sweater not fitting, whichever size you choose to knit!

Yes, I would knit the 38 1/2 size if your high bust is 37 inches! In the future, if you try to use this method to choose a size for more fitted sweaters, you may find that you have to make additional adjustments, but it works quite well without alteration for boxy or open front cardigans.

Hello! I love this look of this cardigan and this will be my first cardigan!!! I am so excited but need some help with the pattern. Is there a video or tutorial that you can send me for this pattern, especially on the Division Row? Like I mentioned this is my first big project and not sure on how to ‘join new ball of yarn and bind off next 10 stitches’. I’m stuck please help!
Thank you so much! And cannot wait to finish my very first cardigan!!

Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we do not have a video tutorial for this step, but hopefully I can walk you through it! At this point in the row, you will simply start knitting and casting off with the tail from a new ball of yarn, leaving the old ball of yarn attached to the Right Front stitches to use later. Once you finish the row, the new ball will be attached to the Left Front, which you will work in the next set of instructions, and the old ball of yarn will still be attached to the Right Front, which you will return to after you have finished the Left Front.

Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we do not have a smaller size available for this pattern, but I will pass your suggestion along to the design team. If you are up for a bit of experimenting and math, you could possibly subtract stitches from the back and fronts in multiples of 4 so that the ribbing works out, but keep in mind that narrowing the front will result in a narrower collar, and either adjustment will affect the short rows in the shoulders.

So I am knitting the sweater using the Flax Down and am loving both the yarn and the pattern very much. I’ve come to the “Shape Left Shoulder” section and my questions is about the short row shaping, which occurs only on the wrong side. I’ve only done German short rows before so I apologize if this is a stupid question. The directions (for WRP-T wrong side read “…bring yarn to front. Turn work so right side is facing you.” Do I now continue in pattern to the end of what is now the right side facing me? Again, sorry for being dense — I just can’t figure out how to proceed with this. And I always have a big fear of screwing up beyond repair! 🙂 Thank you very much for your time, Cynthia

Thanks for reaching out, and I apologize for the delay! After you work the wrap and turn, you will then move on to the next row in the pattern, Short Row 2, which reads “Work in established pattern to end of row.” So yes, you will simply be working a right side row all the way to the end before continuing with Short Row 3!

I am making this using a worsted weight superwash merino, and my gauge is completely off! I had to go down to a size 1 needle! I know the guage is 32 st. Per 4 inches, but with a size 6 this ends up huge! 8 sts per inch seems impossible. Please help!!

Thanks for writing in! Our Flax Down is a DK weight yarn, which is a bit thinner than worsted weight, but it does still seem odd that you would have to go down to such a small needle! Is it possible that you are knitting your gauge swatch in stockinette instead of ribbing? Our 32 stitches per four inches. gauge is for 2×2 ribbing, and the gauge for stockinette stitch should be 23 stitches per four inches.

Thanks for reaching out! Although this would be possible, it might be fairly tricky! I would suggest swatching in both yarns to make sure they both give the same gauge on the same size needle, and since the body of the cardigan is knit in one piece, you would have to switch yarns using intarsia at the side seam markers. It’s also hard to say how much of each yarn you would need since we can’t weigh just parts of the sweater. However, it’s quite an interesting idea – if you do tackle it, please let us know how it turns out!

This is a beautiful sweater. I’ve been wanting to make something with your Cashmere Merino Bloom and it looks like that yarn is fairly similar to the flax down in terms of weight, length, etc. Do you think I could buy the same amount of the Bloom yarn and use that instead of the flax down? Thank you!

Hello Sara,
Thank you for your kind words! You are right that Flax Down and Cashmere Merino Bloom are very similar in weight. They also have approximately the same amount of yardage so you can get the same amount of skeins as well!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla

Hi!
I’m knitting the sleeves and they’re way longer than they should be, I don’t know where I went wrong! I knit up to the measurements the pattern says and then decreased. Should I knit a row short for the decreases to be exactly the measure given apart? This is the second time I’m knitting the sleeve, please help

Thanks for reaching out! After completing the short rows for the sleeve cap, you should be right at the underarm and only knit two rows before beginning the sleeve decreases. Since the decreases are then worked a set distance apart, the sleeve should always turn out the same length – for instance, for the smallest size, you will work the decrease row every .75 inches twice, then every inch twelve times, which adds up to 13.5 inches, plus a bit extra for the decrease rows themselves. If you find that you need a shorter sleeve, I would suggest working the decreases closer together so that they are done by the time you reach your desired sleeve length.

When shaping the shoulder of this lovely piece, you use short rows. I’m puzzled by the instructions: “…last 4 stitches, wrp-t…” and so it continues, for me, 5 more times. If you follow this, do you not create a SLIT? My logic says that one should go to the last 4, then last 5, then last 6, etc., in order to create a SLOPE for the shoulder? And, the short row video explains the method for stocking stitch only, not for a rib pattern? HELP, please. Thanks, K.

Thanks for writing in! If you read a bit further, after working the first wrap and turn four stitches from the end of the row, you will then work each subsequent wrap and turn four stitches before the previous wrap and turn, which will create a slope along the shoulder. Although the video only shows stockinette stitch, you will work wrap and turns in exactly the same fashion for ribbing. The only difference will be when you are knitting the wraps together with their stitches, you will just need to visually check whether it is a knit or purl stitch and then either knit or purl the wrap together with the stitch.

This pattern is stunning! I read in the comments that it would be easy to modify for a sleeveless vest – how many yards would be needed? I have 5 skeins of Flax Down and looking for a perfect pattern for it. Thanks!

Thanks for writing in! While we do not have yardage noted for the sleeves specifically, we suspect that they used between 3 and 5 skeins depending on the size made. With that in mind, I think that you would be quite short on yardage without further modifications. You can shorten the garment but as it is knit bottom up, you would need to decide how much to shorten it from the beginning. For 5 skeins of Flax Down, I might suggest our Foxglove Vest, which uses 3-4 skeins!

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